1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure for positioning a connector for receiving an on-board unit.
2. Related Art
As a structure in which, in a car-body side panel, there is formed an insertion opening into which an on-board unit can be inserted, for example, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, there is known a structure in which, in a center cluster panel (car-body side panel) 1 which is so interposed between the front portion of a center console box of a car and the front portion of an instrument panel of the car as to straddle these two front portions, there is formed an insertion opening 3 in such a manner that it is situated in front of the driver""s seat of the car and also that a meter unit (an on-board unit) 2 can be inserted into the insertion opening 3.
And, on the upper portion of the insertion opening 3, there is mounted a backward-facing receiving connector 4A and, at the same time, on the upper portion of the meter unit 2, there is mounted a forward-facing connector 4B which, as shown in FIG. 4B, can be connected to the receiving connector 4A when the meter unit 2 is inserted into the insertion opening 3 of the center cluster panel 1 (see an arrow mark A shown in FIG. 4A).
In the above-mentioned on-board unit receiving connector structure, in order to be able to absorb molding errors and assembling errors, it is necessary to set a relatively large clearance (play) between the outer surface of the meter unit 2 and the inner surface of the insertion opening 3, which resulting in the no-positioning of the two connectors 4A and 4B. Therefore, in some cases, it is difficult to connect the connector 4B, which is disposed on the meter unit 2 side, to the receiving connector 4A which is disposed on the center cluster panel 1 side.
In view of the above, as shown in FIG. 5, at the right and left positions of the outer surface of the meter unit 2, there are disposed straight-shaped guide ribs 2a and, at the same time, at the right and left positions of the inner surface of the insertion opening 3 of the center cluster panel 1, there are formed straight-shaped guide rail grooves 3a: and, in operation, when the guide ribs 2a are respectively fitted into their associated guide rail grooves 3a to thereby insert the meter unit 2 into the insertion opening 3 (see an arrow mark A shown in FIG. 5), the positioning of the two connectors 4A and 4B can be guided. That is, there is provided a device which can facilitate the connection of the connector 4B disposed on the meter unit 2 side to the receiving connector 4A disposed on the center cluster panel 1 side.
(Problems to be Solved by the Invention)
However, in the positioning guiding structure simply using the straight-shaped guide ribs 2a and guide rail grooves 3a, the positioning accuracy thereof is poor when compared with the fitting accuracy of the two connectors 4A and 4B. Due to this, in case where the meter unit 2 is inclined in the inserting operation thereof when the former is inserted into the latter, there is a fear that an excessive force can be applied to the connectors 4A and 4B while they are fitted with each other.
Also, in case where the position displacement of the meter unit 2 side connector 4B with respect to the center cluster panel 1 side receiving connector 4A is absorbed by the displacement of the receiving connector 4A, there is a fear that, due to the additional provision of such displacement mechanism, the receiving connector 4A can be increased in size.
The present invention aims at eliminating the above-mentioned problems found in the conventional on-board unit receiving connector positioning structures. Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved on-board unit receiving connector positioning structure which not only can prevent an excessive force from being applied to connectors during the mutually fitted state thereof but also can prevent a receiving connector from being increased in size.
(Means for Solving the Problems)
In attaining the above object, according to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an on-board unit receiving connector positioning structure, comprising: an insertion opening formed in a car-body side panel in such a manner that an on-board unit can be inserted into the insertion opening; a receiving connector mounted in the insertion opening; and, a connector disposed on the on-board unit in such a manner that, the on-board unit is inserted into the insertion opening of the car-body side panel, the connector can be connected to the receiving connector, wherein, in the inner surface of the insertion opening of the car-body side panel as well as in the outer surface of the on-board unit, there are disposed guide ribs and guide rail grooves in such a manner that they correspond in position to each other and can be fitted with each other to thereby be able to position the two connectors, and, in the guide ribs and guide rail grooves, there are respectively formed play restrict portions for restricting the play of the guide ribs and guide rail grooves from the time just before the terminals of the two connectors are fitted with each other to the time just after the two connectors are connected together.
According to the first aspect of the invention, not only the guide rail grooves (or guide ribs) are disposed in the inner surface of the insertion opening of the car-body side panel and the guide ribs (or guide rail grooves) are disposed on the outer surface of the on-board unit but also, in these guide ribs and guide rail grooves, there are formed the play restrict portions for respectively restricting the play of the guide ribs and guide rail grooves from the time just before the terminals of the receiving connector of the car-body side panel and the connector of the car-body side panel are fitted with each other to the time just after the these two connectors are connected together. Thanks to this, when inserting the on-board unit into the insertion opening of the car-body side panel, in case where the guide ribs (or guide rail grooves) are respectively inserted into their associated guide rail grooves (or guide ribs) to thereby position the two connectors, the positioning accuracy in the above range can be set equivalent to the fitting accuracy of the terminals of the two connectors and thus the inclination of the on-board unit in the inserting operation thereof can be reduced. This can eliminate a fear that an excessive force can be applied to the two connectors while they are fitted with each other.
Also, in the other portions than the above-mentioned range, the guide ribs and guide rail grooves are allowed to play positively, so that the inserting operation of the on-board unit into the insertion opening can be executed relatively smoothly. This can facilitate the connection of the on-board unit side connector with respect to the car-body side panel side receiving connector. Also, since the position displacement of the on-board unit side connector with respect to the car-body side panel side receiving connector can be absorbed by the displacement of the on-board unit due to the play of the guide ribs and guide rail grooves, the displacement absorption amount of the receiving connector can be reduced, which can prevent the receiving connector from being increased in size.
Also, according to a second aspect of the invention, there can also be provided the following structure in which, in an on-board unit receiving connector positioning structure as set forth in the first aspect of the invention, at the right and left positions of the outer surface of the on-board unit, there are provided guide ribs; at the right and left positions of the inner surface of the insertion opening of the car-body side panel, there are formed guide rail grooves; on the front and rear sides of each of the guide rail grooves, there is formed a play restrict portion having a narrow clearance in the vertical direction thereof; between the front and rear play restrict portions, there is formed a play portion having a wide clearance in the vertical direction thereof; and, in the intermediate portion of each of the guide ribs, there is formed a narrow width portion which, when the rear portion of the guide rib is inserted into its associated play portion after connection of said two connectors, allows the rear portion of the guide rib to play in the vertical direction with the front portion of the guide rib fitted into the front-side play restrict portion of its associated guide rail groove as a fulcrum.
Further, in addition to the structure according to the second aspect of the invention, according to a third aspect of the invention, preferably, there may be provided the following structure in which, in an on-board unit receiving connector positioning structure as set forth in the first or second aspect of the invention, at least at one of the upper and lower positions of the outer surface of the on-board unit, there is disposed a guide rib; in the inner surface of the insertion opening of the car-body side panel, there is formed a guide rail groove which corresponds in position to the guide rib; on the front and rear portions of said guide rail groove, there are formed play restrict portions each having a narrow clearance in the right and left direction; between the front and rear play restrict portions, there is formed a play portion having a wide clearance in the right and left direction; and, in the intermediate portion of the guide rib, there is formed a narrow width portion which, when the rear portion of the guide rib is inserted into the play portion after connection of the two connectors, allows the rear portion of the guide rib to play in the right and left direction with the front portion of the guide rib fitted into the front-side play restrict portion of the guide rail groove as a fulcrum.